The Covid-19 pandemic has shone a light on the exploitation of those – mainly women – who produce fast fashion for well-known brands. From donating to emergency funds to slowing the churn, retailers must be held to account
Garment workers around the world experience low wages and exploitation. This is nothing new, but Jessica Simor QC, a barrister at Matrix chambers who has worked extensively on issues of fair pay and human rights in fashion, says: “Covid has thrown a much brighter light on the inequity of the whole system. [It] has exposed the incredible imbalance between the worker, the factory owner and the retailer – the biggest force lying with the retailer.”
The Covid-19 pandemic has created fresh injustices. Throughout lockdown, garment workers in countries such as Bangladesh, Cambodia and Vietnam have faced destitution and starvation as big-name fashion retailers have cancelled £20bn in orders. “A lot of these fast fashion companies have pulled contracts where fabric has been ordered, received, cut and sewn,” said Raakhi Shah, CEO of the Circle, at an emergency panel the not-for-proft organisation held this week on fast fashion and slavery. “The brands haven’t fulfilled their side of the agreement. And these thousands of garment workers have been left destitute.”
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